mills



c. E. M'ATHE'WSON & H; T. MILLS.

Machine for Catching'an'd Destroying Potato-Bugs.

Patented July-6,1875.

wm ssm IVENT h N-PETER8. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D10.

lJNI TED STATES ATENT PENNSYLVA IA.

lMPRQl/EM E NT INMACI-lINESFORCATCHI NG AND .DESTROYING POTATO-BUGS,

Speciii cation forming part cf Lettrrs Patent No. 1 65.2 13, dated July6, 1875; applicationfiled I May 1,1875. i j i SON and HARVEY T. MILLS,of Franklin Oorhers, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania,have inventeda newand useful Improvement in Machines for (latching andDe;

stroying Potato-Bugs, ofwhich the following is a specification i Figure1 is a verticallongitudinal section of our improved machine, takenthrough the line as m, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3is a vertical crosssection' of the same, taken through the line y 3 Fig.2.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawing,and then pointed out in the claim.

A are two bars, which are connected at their middle parts by across-bar, B, and to the upper sides of which, a little in front oftheir rear ends, is attached a cross-bar, O. The forward parts of theside' bars A are inclined inward, and their ends are attached to theopposite sides of the central longitudinal bar D at or near its forwardend. The rear end of the central bar D is secured to the center ofcross-bar B. To the outer sides of the rear ends of the side bars A, andto the projecting ends of the cross-bar G, are attached the rear ends ofthe guards or fingers E, which project forward at a little distance fromthe side bars A, and inclinev slightly outward, so

that the fingers E and theforward parts of the side bars A may guide thepotato-vines into the space between the said side bars and fingers, whenthe said vines are struck by the wings F,,and the bugs are knocked offand fall upon the bottom of the machine. The forward journals of thewings F revolve in bearings attached to theends of the crossbar G,

. which is attached to the upper ends of two posts, H. The lower ends ofthe posts-H are attached to the cross-bar B at a little distancetheupper ends of two posts, J. Thelower ends of the posts J are attachedto the cross-bar O alittle beyond the sidebars A,"so that the wingsFnraybe over the spaces between the side bars A and wingsfF.The'spacebetween the posts J is closed by aboard, K, attached to saidposts J. L isa partition-board, the

Y it to the discharge-opening. The bottom M inclines from its sides andrear end to the mid dle part of the forward end, where is formed anopening, through which the bugs pass out. To the ends of the rearjournals of the wings F are attached bevel-gear wheels N, into the teethof which mesh the teeth of the bevelgear wheels 0, attached to the endsof the shaft P. The shaft P revolves in slots in the parts. The shaftUrevolves in bearings in the lower ends of two standards, W which passup through slots in the widened rear ends of the side bars A. In therear ends of the slots, in the widened rear ends of the side bars A, areplaced inwardly-projecting pins, which enter holes in the rear edges ofthe standard W, to prevent the said standards from slipping down. Thestandards W are forced into the rear ends of their slots, and thuslockedin place by wedges w, driven into the forward ends of their slotsalong the forward edges of the said standards. This construction enablesthe standard W to be readily raised and lowered by detaching the wedges20. To the shaft U is also attached a pulley, X, around which passes anendless band, Y, which also passes aroundapulley, Z, attached to oneofthe journals of one of the rollers A. The rollers A are placed side byside beneath the discharge-opening of the bottom ,M, and

their journals revolve in bearings attached to said bottom. One of therollers A is revolved by the band Y, and the other is revolved byfriction. B are the handles, which are at tached to the rear parts ofthe side bars A and to the standards Q, and their rear ends areconnected by a round, I). The forward end of the machine is supported bya small wheel, 0, pivoted in the slotted lower end of the standard D,the upper end of which passes up through a mortise in the forward end ofthe middle bar D, where it is secured by a pin passing through the saidbar D and the said standard 1). Several holes are formed in the standardD to receive the fastening-pin, so that the forward end of the machinemay be readily adjusted at any desired height above the ground.

By this construction, as the machine is drawn forward between two rowsof potatoes, the vines will be drawn into the spaces between the guardsE and the side bars A,

' where they will be struck by the Wings F.

The blows otthe wings F will knock the bugs I against the partition L,from which they will fall upon the bottom M, slide down it, and pass outthrough the discharge opening where they will be crushed by the rollersA.

Having thus described our invention we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. In an insect-destroyer, the combination of theinclined side bars A and the guards or fingers E with the frame-work B OD G H J of the machine, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In an insect'destroyer, the combination of the wings F with theguards or fingers E, the side bars A, and the frame-work B O D G H J ofthe machine, substantially as herein shown and described.

OEYLON E. MATHEWSON. HARVEY T. MILLS.

Witnesses:

BENJ. J. MASON, ALBERT M. MATHEWSON.

